Question on seatbelt safety

[137beth]

To what extent does wearing a seatbelt protect people in other cars? If you don't wear a seatbelt, then obviously you are putting yourself in more danger. And, if you are sharing the car with anyone else, then you are putting them in more danger because you could fly out of your seat and hit them. But what about people in other cars? I can imagine a scenario where you are flung out of the window of your car into another lane, which could result in a car in another lane crashing when they wouldn't have done so if you were still in your car. But how likely is that scenario?

[Vinyadan]

I guess you become a worse problem for motorcyclists? you might not just turn into a projectile, but also an obstacle on the road, and cause people to go off the road or fall to swerve suddenly.

[Lord Torath]

In a minor accident, a seat belt keeps you oriented and able to retain control of your vehicle, and thus better able to prevent secondary collisions.

[snowblizz]

In a minor accident, a seat belt keeps you oriented and able to retain control of your vehicle, and thus better able to prevent secondary collisions.

That's likely one of the key things, it keeps many minor accidents from becoming major ones.

[tomandtish]

In case you haven't noticed, that beeping quits in about 20 seconds. Most people take longer than that getting their current playlist going.

Some do. Some don't. It's like turn signal timers, there's no standard.

As Peelee said, it varies. My car beeps continuously for about 30 seconds, then beeps about 5 seconds every 30 seconds until the car is off or the belt fashioned. My friend down the street's car beeps consistently. And my parents' car beep for about 15 seconds, then is just a flashing light.

[Manga Shoggoth]

As Peelee said, it varies. My car beeps continuously for about 30 seconds, then beeps about 5 seconds every 30 seconds until the car is off or the belt fashioned. My friend down the street's car beeps consistently. And my parents' car beep for about 15 seconds, then is just a flashing light.

...The nice thing about Standards is there are so many to choose from...

[Radar]

...The nice thing about Standards is there are so many to choose from...

In that case we just need to develop one standard that covers all use cases, right?

[Manga Shoggoth]

In that case we just need to develop one standard that covers all use cases, right?

Indeed. I used to have that one hung up on the wall at work.

[Radar]

Indeed. I used to have that one hung up on the wall at work.

I also try to keep this story in mind.

[wumpus]

I'd wager that the number of people who dont wear seatbelts out of some sort of malice or petulance is dwarfed by the people who do it out of laziness or apathy. We dont need to make a solution for literally every circumstance, just the more common ones. We cant completely stop people from hurting themselves, but we can at least stop enabling them.

Back in the 1970s my friend's father showed my father a complicated scheme of wrapping his seatbelt so he could ride in the (friend's dad's) car without wearing his seatbelt.

So it does (or did) happen. I have to assume these attitudes are much more prevalent in people born before "Unsafe at any Speed*" was published.

* the only reason to read the book is to see what type of nut Ralph Nader really is/was. The overall theme of the book is a widespread conspiracy to kill Americans in unsafe cars while everybody is simply meeting the (local minima) demand for unsafe cars. Reading it is a weird experience, in a kind of "just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you" kind of way. It is conspiracy theory that is effectively correct in its facts, I don't expect to read anything else like it.

[snowblizz]

In 2009 I was visiting the US and was staying with an aquaitance and as he picked me up from the airport I couldn't find the seatbelt fastener in the backseat, normally only the dogs rode in the back of this car.
He told me it was ok, there was no law requiring it. I told him I didn't as much care about he law as I valued my life. So he had to figure out where to dig up the fasteners for the seatbelts since I wouldn't ride without it.

[Lord Torath]

In 2009 I was visiting the US and was staying with an acquaintance and as he picked me up from the airport I couldn't find the seat belt fastener in the backseat, normally only the dogs rode in the back of this car.
He told me it was ok, there was no law requiring it. I told him I didn't as much care about he law as I valued my life. So he had to figure out where to dig up the fasteners for the seatbelts since I wouldn't ride without it.

Good for you!

I suppose the seat belts had been shoved down between the seats, or back into the trunk?

[Rogar Demonblud]

Given the skill level of the average American driver, smart move.

[snowblizz]

Good for you!

I suppose the seat belts had been shoved down between the seats, or back into the trunk?

When delivered from factory usually they tuck the seatbelt-fastener (I'm not sure what it's called, the one you click the seatbelt into) behind/under the rear seat.

I believe he had to lift up the backseat to find them. Literally never had been in use before.

[Manga Shoggoth]

I also try to keep this story in mind.

...And noted with thanks.

[quinron]

And here in Belgium (and I think Europe) almost all cars are sold with an alarm that beeps when you drive while not wearing a seatbelt in the front. These alarms are really annoying and do not stop (I noticed that when I had a box on the front passenger seat which was heavy enough to trigger this alarm).

Since I was 16 (I'm now 27), I've been frustrated by my parents over this. They've owned three different cars in that time with incredibly annoying seatbelt alarms, yet they still usually refuse to put their seatbelts on entirely out of laziness. Beyond even the safety concerns, whenever I'm in the car with them, I have to badger them into putting their seatbelts on just to get the car to shut up.

[Rogar Demonblud]

It's easier when I'm driving. The key won't even go into the ignition until everybody's belted in.

[Imbalance]

Allegedly they're working on upgrading the alarm to not allowing the car to start if the seatbelt isn't worn. Because more and more of automotive safety revolves around not allowing humans to make decisions without supervision.

As someone who works on his own vehicles, I find this problematic, maybe discriminatory. I wear my seatbelt religiously, but I start the engine first to listen to it before doing anything else, literally every single time, and if I hear something abnormal I want to be able to get out quickly to investigate. Putting a deadman switch to the gears is fine, but don't deadman my motor.

I recall some years ago there were cars with a shoulder strap on a little motorized track in the door frame, one end at the door and one end always locked in, making it a nuisance to avoid being strapped in. Whatever happened to those?

My first ride, The Mighty Tempo, had this "feature". That car is the reason I developed the habits noted above. Like someone mentioned, people lost their heads over automatic shoulder belts.

In a minor accident, a seat belt keeps you oriented and able to retain control of your vehicle, and thus better able to prevent secondary collisions.

Boy-o-boy, can I attest to this.

[Peelee]

As someone who works on his own vehicles, I find this problematic, maybe discriminatory.

Not discriminatory. At least, not against any protected class.